Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Brand new L-N lever caps...
James Watriss
>Just got my brand new L-N #4C in the mail the other day.
Has anyone else received a plane with a really stiff lever cap action? IE, have to be careful pushing the lever down so the whoel thing doesn't slide up and off the retaining screw?
Re: Brand new L-N lever caps...
David W. Dougherty
>Recently, I sent an email to L-N complaining about that very thing. I've tried all different kinds of lubricants to no avail. All three of my main planes--#4-1/2, #5-1/2, #7--have the same malady.
I also complained about some very substandard replacement irons that I purchased from them. They are so horrible convex on the bottom (right out to the cutting edge) that I don't think I'll ever get them flat.
Re: Brand new L-N lever caps...
Ron Smith
>In cases like this, when one cannot easily reach the brearing surfaces to hone or polish; I find the best approach is to clean the bearing surface of all lubricant (dip in alcohal) and simply work the 'action' to exhaustion. Then add the proper lubricant. Our first tendency is to oil the part . . .this usually prolongs the period of unacceptably 'stiff' operation . . . .sometimes forever. On gun actions I sometimes apply a coat of fine abrasive to assist in polishing wear-points.
Re: Brand new L-N lever caps...
James Watriss
>I'll give that a shot... it's actually somethign I've experienced before. Of all places, on ball-bearing yoyos.
I guess it just goes to show that all kinds of weird people come floating through here. Yoyos and hand planes shouldn't have anything in common.
Yoyos?...
Jack Guzman from Maine
>I don't know about that. I was very much into the yoyo fad when I was----Wow,way back then?
How about it,any other woodworkers have a fling with yoyos back when?---Jack
Re: Yoyos?...
Bob Hackett
>Rock the cradle,walk the dog,around the world...How many of those demo`s did you go to Jack?
Lost track of how many strings I went thru.
MB
Re: Yoyos?...
Clay C in Miami
>Had some fun wowing two young nephews recently with my rock-the-baby. Pointed out that this skill, acquired with almost the same degree of devotion they may devote to Level XIV of Zondar's Revenge (or whatever game they're playing on those little beepy things), has two advantages - 1) It can actually be seen by other non-players, and 2) the necessary equipment is more likely to still be around when they're an adult.
One went right at it, and picked it up quickly. One went back to the little screen. Hey. I was happy - even Ted Williams never batted .500!
(And, speaking of baseball, congrats to the Miami Hurricanes for dispatching Mississippi St. last night in their postseason college baseball tournament - now Miami goes on to Lincoln next weekend, to take on Nebraska in front of 9,000 howling Husker fans, for the right to advance to the College World Series.)
Clay
Loosen the lever cap screw
Ian in Sydney
>The instructions that came with my 4� advised that the lever cap screw was tightened for transport and needed to be backed off before use.
Re: Yoyos?...
Jack Guzman from Maine
>I don't know about no demos but I learned all the basic tricks.I remember disliking those butterfly models,though I think they were supposed to be better for tricks.---Jack
Re: Loosen the lever cap screw
David W. Dougherty
>That's not the issue. Even with the cap completely off the plane, the levers are almost unmoveable. That is the case with my planes.
No response from repeated inquiries to L-N. Wish they were active on this board like Rob from Lee Valley. :(
Loves my Duncan
Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA
>Imperial(s) still have them around somewhere.
Scott, who loved to lift up the girls skirts with my yoyo;^)
BTW James, I've never had a problem with my LN lever caps.
Call and talk to them...
Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA
>They have alwasy corrected any problem I've had with a phone call..
Re: Call and talk to them...
David W. Dougherty
>I'm happy to report that Joe Butler, VP of Ops for L-N, called me this afternoon and left me a message indidcating that he wants to work with me to resolve the situation. So that is goodness.
Let us know the outcome
Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native in FL. Exile :~(
>
Re: Call and talk to them...
David W. Dougherty
>Joe was very pleasant and said, in a nutshell, we'll send you the parts you need to get your planes in working condition. So they are sending me three brass caps, two old style chip breakers to replace the poorly milled new-style chip breakers that came with my planes, and a new blade to replace the poorly milled one I have.
Regarding the lever caps--they either work correctly out of the box or not. It's not a function of lubrication, it's a function of milling tolerances. So if the diameters of the pins are a "smidge" too big, then the levers will be mostly unmoveable, which is the case with my planes. I bought my 4.5, 5.5, and 7 at the same time directly from L-N, and, because each plane uses identical blades, cap irons, and lever caps, I can see how an entire batch would be affected by an improper setting on a lathe or some such.
Good luck to the original poster with his dilemma. Although now I'm sure that L-N will take good care of him as well. Good folks there to be sure.
David
Wow!
Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA
>Sounds like psychic healing to me, Scott. Still, if your information is reliable, I've finally found a way to lose 50 pounds: "Hello, L-N? I've got this problem..."
Yes in deed, they have a way...
Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA
>If you need to loose 50 lbs. the folks at LN will be glad to help (trust me here).
They'll remove the weight straight out of you wallet or suggest a No. 8 for a nice workout to loose that weight another way;^)